Rail anchor



J. F. WENTERWEST.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION man APR. 26, 1921.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

E E H J S H I H S L 2 O m SWM/ [Joseph F WerfTErmEfI' UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I. WENTERWEST, OF LEBANON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN i M. MGDERRMOTT, OF NEW BUTLER, WISCONSIN.

BAIL ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26, 1921. Serial No. 464,482.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn F. 'Winvrnnwnsr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lebanon, in the county of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bail Anchors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My'invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical and effective rail anchor, the arrangement and construction being such that the device can-be readily ad justed to the base web of a rail and firmly locked thereto, by a wedged face channeled key, whereby the anchor is caused to exert a firm biting pressure upon the rail both in a horizontal and vertical direction, the wedging connection being such that tendency of the rail to creep will cause a greater biting strain upon the anchor and rail parts.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as are hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying illustrations and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a fragment of a rail and cross tie, equipped with an anti-creeping device or anchor embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the bracket portion of the anchor.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the rail show ing the anchor mechanism in place, the sec tion being indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 a detail plan sectional view of the anchor, the section being indicated by line 44: of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the anchor, the section being indicated by line 55 of Figures 3 and 4, and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of a channel wedge key, used in connection with a bracket element of my ra'il anchor.

Referring by characters to the drawings, A represents a standard rail and B a support ing tie therefor. As best shown in Figures 1 and 3, of the drawings, the base web a of the rail has fitted thereto a bracket comprising a base late 1 adapted to engage the lower face of t e rail web a, the base plate having a depending anchor foot 2 which is arranged to engage the edge of the tie B, it being understood that the creeping tendency As best shown in Figure 3, the inner opposite surfaces of the bracket flanges are of such width, with respect to the rail web, that the bracket, as a whole, can be readily inserted about said web in its transverse position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The vertical inner wall of one of the bracket flanges, as best shown in Figure L, is flaringly tapered as at 5, in the opposite direction from the directionof travel of the rail A, in its tendency to creep, and the adjacent inner face of the bracket base plate is,as best shown in Figures 3 and 5, countersunk and horizontally tapered as at 6, the same being flared downwardly in the opposite direction from the tendency of the rail to creep, whereby a right angle, double wedge shaped gripping throat is formed at this point, longitudinally of and throughout the width of the bracket.

The gripping throat is provided for the reception of a channeled key 7, the outer horizontal and vertical walls of which are tapered to correspond with the tapered gripping throat formed by the bracket flange.

After the bracket has been inserted about the rail web a, the key is driven into place and. owing to the nested wedging engagement between its surfaces and the corresponding surfaces of the bracket, said wedge will cause the bracket to draw upon the rail It is further understood-that the vertical parts, Will ultimately be resisted by the lip portion 4 of the bracket biting flange, and;

this portion obviously is of suflicient dimensionto resist breaking strain. The two parts constituting the rail anchor may be cast, drop forged or otherwise manufactured to meet the requirements of the trade, and it is understood that the dimensions of the parts may be varied to meet special requirements in the application of the anchor to different road conditions.

I claim:

A rail anchor comprising a bracket, including a base-plate having a depending anchor foot, adapted to abut and engage the lower face of a rail base flange and tie re spectively, inturned gripping flanges extending from the longitudinal edges of the base-plate forming gripping throats for encompassing the edges of the rail base flange,

oneof the gripping throats being formed with horizontally and vertically tapered walls, and a channeled locking key having correspondingly tapered Walls for snug Wedging engagement With the flange throat, all the surfaces of said key being smooth, said key comprising a flat and relatively broad slightly inclined portion, a flat narrow tapered vertical portion extending downwardly therefrom at a well defined an gle and a flat tapered horizontal flange extending inwardly therefrom at right angles, the key when inserted between the bracket flange and rail flange being adapted to exert a bite of the aforesaid bracket upon the rail base both vertically and horizontally.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Lebanon, in

the county of Dodge and State-of \Vis consin.

JOSEPH F. WENTERWEsn I 

